north, are the places of instruction of various Gentile nations who in the world have led a good life in conformity with their religion, and have thence acquired a species of conscience, and have done what is just and right, not so much from a regard to the laws of their country, as from a regard to the laws of their religion, which they believed ought to be sacredly observed, and in no way to be violated by their actions. All these when instructed are easily led to acknowledge the Lord, because it is impressed on their hearts that God is not invisible, but visible under a human form. These exceed the rest in number. The best of them are from Africa.
But all are not instructed in the same manner, nor by similar societies of heaven. They who from infancy have been educated in heaven, are instructed by angels of the interior heavens, inasmuch as they have not imbibed falsities from falsities of religion, nor denied their spiritual life by the gross principles which have regard to honors and riches in the world.
They who have died adult, are for the most part instructed by the angels of the ultimate heaven, because these angels are better adapted to them than the angels of the interior heavens; for the latter are in interior wisdom which they are not yet able to receive. But the Mohammedans are instructed by angels who had once been in the same religion, and were converted to Christianity. Gentiles also are instructed by angels who were once Gentiles.
